"If it wasn't for beaver, none of us would be here," Bill O'Brien, one of the three founders of Beaver Beer tells me over their delicious Big Red brew. Turns out he's not talking about our meeting at the bar, though. Bill gives me a quick history lesson and tells me that the Dutch were among the first to come to this country, and they were hunters looking for beaver pelts!

It's one of the many stories that Beaver Beer brings out, and Bill lovingly refers to Beaver Beer as "a conversation in a bottle." The conversation that led to Beaver Beer occurred when three friends from Westport were camping and became inspired to create the perfect craft brew. After watching the nearby hard working, hard-playing beavers, they knew the beaver was the perfect mascot for their brand.

Much hard work and hard-playing later, Beaver Beer came to life. They commissioned a brewmaster to help them achieve what they desired and found a brewery to make the first batch. They created three varietals; Big Red, a heady IPA-style, Brewnette, a silky-smooth amber lager and Blonde, an American-style pale ale. They wanted to keep their beer in line with the main craft beer styles, but with flavors and tweaks they couldn't find on the market. They also wanted to create session formulas, meaning that they are not so heavy, because these guys want to have more than just one beer!

They believed they had made great brews, but they wanted to be sure that the public agreed, so they decided to hold a blind taste tests in three states at brewpubs. They tested Beaver Beer against Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada and Harpoon, and they won against all three. With that victory, Beaver Beer was ready for the wild!

They first launched the brand in November of 2011 and promptly sold out. Now they are fully stocked all across their home state of Connecticut, but they are especially popular with their fans in Fairfield County, many of whom know Bill, Baxter and Rob personally and want to support the local beer guys. You can join the beaver movement by picking up a bottle or a glass yourself - for retail and bar locations visit beaverbeer.com. Be sure to check out the Beaver factoids and sign up for the Beaver Brigade while you're there!